Simple game demo idea

[Alenerel]

I have seen several times people who ask by this game is sold for this much if its early access but when the game gets released the questions will be "why should i pay so much for this random indie game?". Lets be honest, "indie" has become synonymous of crap in the last years, so they kinda have a reason to be concerned.

My idea is to release for free an old alpha/beta version. I think that the best for the job could release the A14, since it doenst have drugs or world map, or A15 for the drugs but not world map. And also make clear that you dont offer support or mod support for it, thats for the full release.

Im not sure how effective this would be, if it would hurt more than help, but there it is if you want to think about it.

[OFWG]

I don't think releasing an old, worse version of the game would be a very good demo.

[Toste]

My idea is a combination of already existing in-game mechanics. I´d also love the idea of a tutorial that deceits you in the end akin to Project Zomboid.

In PZ you are given the basic of basics on day-to-day survival. Then the game tricks you in the most deceptive and beautiful way I've ever seen for a tutorial.
At the end a dialogue box pops up that says
¨If you ever get bit, press Q to take the antidote.¨
Without the knowledge of what Q was used for (it is the ¨yell¨ button) you´ll press it and your character will scream something along the lines of ¨I´m over here!¨
Suddenly the entire screen is invaded by zombies, with lack of experience you´ll drown in the ocean of zombies that spawn BUT with some diagonal running you can dodge the horde. Doesn't matter because tutorial and you´ll just die no matter what.

My idea is to take the planet-ending scenario and implant it short in the demo, leaving it re-playable. In just 5 days the planet will explode, you learn the basics on the first day like the normal tutorial and you are left alone until Day 3. On day 3 you´ll get a more advanced tutorial along with a drop-pod with a comm-console in it (or the materials for it and research auto-unlocks it). You are told to place it and you learn how to call factions. On the night of night 4 you will get a message from a random group of raiders raiding you because you placed a comm-console, revealing your position.
Morning of day 5 you get a high-wealth siege. A group of raiders (and the only ones who will ever do it in the game) quickly set up their mortars and launch 5 anti-grain warheads at your colony. Anyone who survives will be eaten by more incoming raids of increasing difficulty. As your last colonist dies, or survives until the supernova, you´ll get a message.

¨Living on the Rim isn´t a cakeride¨ or something along the lines, apologizing and a message from Tynan to buy the full game.

If I got mega-obliterated by super raiders on day 4 I´d be hooked on the game.